>> the numbers don't lie. the american people want something done and hopefully tonight that will begin. >> very good and you know what, the republicans final word. don't deny science. democra democrats, don't deny math. "morning joe," a happy cheerful morning at all times. stick around. here's chuck. >> the state of the union is 12 hours away. they are putting final touches on the speech that can feel clintonian, a laundry yes of priorities. strengthening the economy and add jobs. responding for the republicans is marco rubio. this will surely be the biggest audience he has had.

that's mostly republican w. what message puts him on a path to give his own state of the union some day. >> north korea confirms they conducted a third nuclear test. president obama called it highly provocative and condemns the move. you will hear about it from the president tonight. it's state of the union day. what better place to be. abe lincoln's birthday. let's get right to the first reads of the morning. if you believe that second term domestic agendas have a shelf life of 18 months at most, then president obama's last best chance to lay out aggressive plans. for that reason, don't be surprised if you hear a laundry list of policy asks. also hanging over tonight's speech, the constant gridlock that has been this president's achilles heel. for weeks the president spent much of his time in public

talking about gun violence and immigration. as the economy goes, so goes his second term agenda. he will refocus on the top concern. the economy and jobs. as the president prepares to give his speech, the unemployment rate while down from the high in 2009 remains at 7.9%. the gdp report is a reminder of ow fragile the economy is. 36% said they either were very or fairly confident in the president's ability to promote a strong and agreeing economy. they say the speech will return to economic fairness he will talk about. >> this country succeeds when everyone gets a fair shot and everyone does their fair share. everyone plays by the same rules.

these aren't democratic or republican values or 1% values or 99% values. these are american values. we have to reclaim them. >> and the president will revisit themes from the reelection campaign outlining the plan to create jobs and grow the middle class. >> goals in receivering and education and national security and the deficit. real achievable plans that will lead to new jobs. >> and while the speech may come across as a laundry list tonight, there will be new initiatives intended to answer three questions according to white house aides. how can we create more jobs and give preem the skills they need for the jobs and how do folks who work hard make a decent living. it comes two weeks before a new set of budget showdowns. the president and congressional republicans on march 1st, a

series of what some believe are draconian cuts. they don't want them, but will kick in. at the end of the month, the government completely runs out of fund pg. th senate republican leader mitch mcconnell had this response to the president on monday. the white house will subject us to another campaign blitz. the president's hands are tied by what we propose, sign, and refuse to get rid of. >> let's be clear. when the budget control act passed on august 11, 2011 through the house, it passed by a vote of 269 to 161. 174 were republicans. >> though the president's speech will be dominated by the

economy, he will touch on the other issues at beginning of this first month of the second term. guns, immigration and foreign policy. that includes north korea that gets a mention after they say they conducted a 30 nuclear test that president obama calls highly provocative. the state of the union is part substance and part atmospherics. >> mr. speaker! the president of the united states! every year the mood is reflected in the chamber itself. despite the focus of speech and the memory of newtown will loom. lawmakers are inviting guests from all sides of the gun debate from former congresswoman gabrielle giffords who was a surprise guest will attend this

year with her husband as the guest of john mccain and her former aide, ron barber. they star in an ad that will air after the president's address tonight. then the parents of slain teenager who will be guests of the first lady as will lieutenant brian murphy who was struck by 15 bullets responding to the sikh temple shooting. newtown victims and first responders will be there including a teacher who was wounded and survived. and then folks representing the other side. rocker ted nugent who was investigated by the secret service after telling the convention if barack obama is reelected, i will be dead or in jail. he will be at the state of the union as a guest of congressman steve stockman.

he has been a leading voice in favor of immigration reform. the south carolina husband and father of two children who are u.s. citizens and fighting deportation. speaker boehner's guest include an ex-bat boy and the school choice program. finally florida senator marco rubio will speak to the largest national audience when he delivers the republican response to the president's address. while it may not feel like a debut to the no republicans, it's an opportunity for him to build the epitation with a broader audience. the choice of rubio was a no brainer. consider the party's problem. there was a device between the establishment.

gop has a problem with minorities. we previewed saying he will focus on the parties to limit government as the best way to help the little class and hold down future spending. he will make a case for exceptionalism. >> dreams that are impossible will come true here. >> we are a uniquely blessed people and honored those with the example of an exceptional america. >> they characterize the president's call for big government. >> a government that spends $1 trillion more than it takes? a stimulus that created more debt than jobs and a government intervention paid for with higher taxes and cuts to medicare? these failed every time and everywhere they have been tried.

these are ideas that people come to america to get away from. >> i am told by staffers that marco rubio had a peninsula to the state of the union in mind and her to it up and starred again. they are ready to go to toe with a spirited president who is ready to advance. >> he said we don't just want to be the opposition. we want to be the alternative. he is expected to address reform and mainly as a vehicle for agreeing the economy. it will not be a big part. he plans to retape a spanish language version that will run on stations while he is delivering his remarks in english. he has been on a conference call yesterday by debbie wassermann

shuttle. >> despite the desire to learn needs to smile more. they will offer more of the policies rejected by the american people last yf. >> history has not always been kind and nothing is harder than following a president. not since 1996 when then senator bob dole said a republican delivered the state of the union response to win the party's presidential nomination. it's not just louisiana governor bobby jindal. kathleen had to survive with conservatives and a big step to becoming a major player. look at the past several responsers. it looks like a 2016 iowa caucus lineup. more thing.

there was a time when marco rubio was tea party enough, but now it's rand paul who will deliver's tea party response to the president's speech. >> there is a lot of manager and while they consider themselves to be the republican and they wanted an independent voice. i won't say anything that is like marco rubio is wrong. i don't always agree, but this is not about he and i. this is about the tea party. >> the first settle hint that he may not be one of them. it may not be a head to head matchup. next stop, des moines. up next, the preview from both sides of the white house. house majority and still to come, the promises and pitfalls

of the second term state of the union. the vatican in uncharted territory as the pope prepares to step down. the short list of candidates is starting to emerge. we are live in rome with the political jockeying and the latest on the pope's health. we will pick up the coverage after the break, but 50 a look ahead. today's politics planner. we know the big thing. a lot of under the radar. you are watching the damy run down only on msnbc. [ ship horn blows ] no, no, no! stop! humans. one day we're coming up with the theory of relativity, the next... not so much. but that's okay -- you're covered with great ideas like optional better car replacement

from liberty mutual insurance. total your car and we give you the money to buy one a model year newer. learn about it at libertymutual.com. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy?

she was a picky eater. well now i'm her dietitian and last year, she wasn't eating so well. so i recommended boost complete nutritional drink to help her get the nutrition she was missing. and now she drinks it every day. well, it tastes great! [ male announcer ] boost has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to support strong bones, and 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle. and our great taste is guaranteed or your money back. learn more at boost.com [ dietitian ] now, nothing keeps mom from doing what she loves... being my mom.

we must harness new ideas to remake the government and revamp the tax codes. medicare, medicaid and social security. they strengthen us. we will respond to the thread of climate change. >> chuck will be back later in the show, but i'm holding down the fort. that was hob in his second inaugural speech where he laid out both an aggressive and progressive agenda. can we expect more of the same tonight? joining me now to talk about it is the senior adviser. let's start and mitch mcconnell said he expected another aggressive campaign-like pitch. is that an unfair way? he has been significantly more aggressive and in his speech, you guys said this is a second act being the first. is he going to strike a similar

aggressive tone tonight? >> what you will hear from the president has to be aggressive. he believes the economy grows best from the middle out. he will reach out to republicans and encourage him to work with him. he is going to talk about his approaches that he believes is bet for america. >> how much reaching out is he going to do and how much on actual policy. republicans have criticized and said he wants to work with us, but when you get down to the proposals and what he does and what his senior officials do, there is not that much. are we going to see proposals and what they have been supportive of or is this going to be about bipartisanship? >> they put americans back to work by helping small businesses

and what they traditionally supported. they moved far to the right and have been less supportive and taken a my way or the highway approach. the only thing is to cut away posterity. they require both sides to get everything they want. >> what if they are not willing to work with you? the president is reelected. he doesn't need to worry about getting elected again. he came to washington four years ago or so saying he wanted to change the culture and break the gridlock. he struggled to do that. where do you go if they say this is not meeting the mill. beyond what he lays out tonight. >> the approximately will do what he has done in the past. mobilize the american people and

build support and push the republicans to do what's in the best interest of the country. they were forced to protect tax cuts and asking the wealth tow pay more. that's what they had to do to make sure the tax cuts won't go up. that's not the best way to do things, but the republican water will be trying to obstruct everything. they will mobilize the american people and the party suffered from the obstructionist tactics as a historic low. they had a rough election. they didn't just lose the presidency. the senate democrats picked up seats and house democrats got more votes and picked up seats in the house. the question is, the republicans like leader kantor had given speeches and let's hope they come out with a new approach here. >> can i ask you quickly on

democrats, particularly on guns and the gun control proposals like mary landry and tim johnson and max bacchus and all these people are up for reelection and might be queasy about voting for everything that the president proposed. what's the message to them? do you go to the public and pressure democrat who is are not with the president on his agenda? >> look. we do not assume that every democrat in the senate and house support everything he does. we represent all areas and north, south, east and west. we are proud of that. on the proposals the president put forward to grow the economy and deal with immigration and address gun violence and had support in the country, the overall majority will be with the democrats. will republicans join and do

what they want to address the challeng challenges. >> i want to ask, will we hear something from the president on that? i know you guys said a little bit and will we hear more tonight on that? >> well, look. some asked whether this changes his speech. this is making no in his speech. he will prepare to address north korea. this is a highly provocative act that threatens security. he was planning to deal with north korea in the speech. >> i might add fellow georgetown alumni and six straight wins in the northeast. thank you, dan. >> up next, the republican view. ahead of the big speech, kevin mccarthy joins us. the gop continues to struggle to find its voice are the double responses. further proof of the party's

problems. before we get to that, it's today's trivia question. who is the last president to not deliver a state of the union address in person? tweet us at daily run down. the first correct answer will get a follow tuesday from us. [ kendra ] i grew up with a pool in my backyard, but i did not put on a swimsuit because of my size. i like weight watchers because of the flexibility. i don't have to be perfect. it fits my life. i have lost 87 lbs on weight watchers.

this is a body that i have never lived in before. i got the courage to learn how to swim. it's never too late to start anew. [ hudson ] introducing the new weight watchers 360 program. built for human nature. join for free and expect amazing. because it works.

join for free and expect amazing. all right that's a fifth-floor probleok.. not in my house! ha ha ha! ha ha ha! no no no! not today! ha ha ha! ha ha ha! jimmy how happy are folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico? happier than dikembe mutumbo blocking a shot. get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more.

. republicans are preparing a pair of responses to the state of the union address with the senator set to deliver the fashl response in english and spanish and kentucky senator rand paul giving the tea party response. will they pull republicans or amplify tensions between the tea party and the establishment? congressman kevin mccarthy. this is not the first time we had the official response and a tea party response.

your colleague has given one as well. is this the wrong message for a party who needs to unite for who need to com pat president obama? >> you are hearing for popular senators that expand the view of the republican party and gives you more libertarian view which i think our party needs to embrace. marco rubio expands beyond the republican edge station and you will see the majority of americans grate with both of them. that's the first and a good start. >> hour important is it, much has been made with president obama on one side and since john boehner struggled, there is not a republican foil. is marco rubio the best republican foil for president obama for your party going forward? >> i think we have a lot of people who can stand up to the president. don't under estimate this house.

i listened before. this is the second largest majority. larger than any majority. we are very unite and we have governors across the nation more than the past. we have a strong house and a strong senate that i believe in the next election can take the majority. >> where do you move forward specifically? in the last couple of months, we have seen them back away on debt ceiling. you postponed that. where do you go? it appears that president obama has the upper hand. seems like republicans are moving in the direction of the path of citizenship. that's around if your district. what specifically are you united behind that differentiates you from the president and can get past both through the republican house which i'm sure you can do,

but through the senate and signed by the president of the united states? >> the number one priority is the budget. if i that r they don't pass a budget, they won't be paid. the house laid out a plan to balance the budget which we will do in the next years am i wish the white house would put the same pressure behind the senate democrats. they haven't been introduced yet and the ceo will be at the state of the union. this is the first and foremost thing we can do is get a budget passed. the republicans are strong and that sets a plan to put us on a path to agreeing this economy. >> the economy is the largest issue that the american public cares the most about. an emotional issue that has a touch stone in my home state of

connecticut with the shooting tragedy there. there will be gabrielle giffords and a colleague of yours. ted nugent is outspoken in favor of gun rights. is that sending the wrong message to bring someone like what that who made statements in politics? is that the wrong message on an issue that is as emotional and raw as this one is? >> i find that emotion is strong and people across america have different views on this. there is a second amendment view ha is strong as well. as we move forward, we will take it as the founders said and go through committee and find what is best to protect america and individual rights. >> let me ask you quickly. is it the right course for republicans to only consider a gun bill that has a support of

the majority of the majority of republicans in the house. should that be the right next step moving forward? >> i look forward to looking at all the pieces of legislation. i would be interested in seeing what gets out of the senate and the democrats who talk about disagreement with their own democrats. when you talk about a split, the democrats are split and it will be interesting to see what comes out. >> let's say something comes out. even if it didn't have the majority, is that because of the centrality of the issue and the desire for something to happen. do we need to pass some sort of gun control measure in this congress? >> i think the thing is let's look through the committee. there a lot of things we need to do with mental health. that's something we have in the house that we have been working on right now.

we have a member assigned to it as well. we will be taking this up as the structure is before us of how to deal with legislation. >> kevin carthy of california, i know it's a busy day. >> next, a deep dive into the first state of the union given by recent second term presidents. what reagan, clinton and bush's speeches can policy about president obama's chances for getting what he wants. we are live in rome as bets are being placed on who will lead the more than one billion roman catholics when the pope steps down. you are wuchatching "the daily rundown." i decided enough is enough. ♪ [ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin. [ rv guy ] enbrel may not work for everyone -- and may not clear you completely, but for many, it gets skin clearer fast, within 2 months, and keeps it clearer through 6 months.

[ male announcer ] enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events, including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders, and allergic reactions have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. you should not start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if you have symptoms such as persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. if you've had enough, ask your dermatologist about enbrel.

constipated? yeah. mm. some laxatives like dulcolax can cause cramps. but phillips' caplets don't. they have magnesium. for effective relief of occasional constipation. thanks. [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. phillips'. hi victor! mom? i know you got to go in a minute but this is a real quick meal, that's perfect for two! campbell's chunky beef with country vegetables, poured over rice! [ male announcer ] campbell's chunky soup. it fills you up right. . state of the union addresses are an opportunity for grand plans and second term presidents

have a unique opportunity. free from concerns about reelection, they can aim high. a deep dive into promises and pitfalls that the addresses have presented in the modern err a. let's go back to 1985. ronald reagan kicked off on a high. 25 straight months of growth. to keep the momentum going, he took aim at the tax rates. >> let us move together with a historic reform of tax simplification. we will remove the preferences and have a top rate of no more than 35%. >> at the time he gave that speech, the top rate was 50%. the following year he cut the cop rate almost in half down to 28%. compare that to the current rate at 39.6%.

the tax reform act consolidated and raised corporate rates. how did it work? gdp was growing at around 2%. the rate hit 7%. it wouldn't hit again for years. another idea that he pitched in the second term, the international space station. not on his watch much the core module was launched about ten years after. plipt was residing over a second economy. he discussed education reform, laying out ten principals in all. >> i issue a challenge to the nation. every state should adopt high national standards and by 1999, every state should test every

fourth grader in aring and every eighth grader in math to make sure these standards are met. >> clinton made the national examples, but it wasn't enough. the measure was blocked bia coalition of liberal democrats who thought they would discriminate. in 2011 as part of nbc's ezication series, they said it's still the right idea even if it didn't work back then. >> i would start with the national education standards which we almost developed in my second term and there was a bipartisan resistance in congress even though i took it out of politics, the process on the theory that i was interfering with the states and the localities. >> they included other promises, vowed to balance the budget and sign the act into law just six

months later. health coverage for kids and including the state health insurance program in the balanced budget act. fast forward, president bush was dealing with two wars, but the push focused on fixing social security. >> as we fix social security we have the responsibility to make the system a better deal with younger workers. the best way to reach the goal is through voluntary retirement accounts. >> president bush launched a series of long tours to sell the plan to the public and it never caught on. support got worse. his rating on the issue fell in june. they were opposed and republicans cooperate gain traction either. hurricane katrina wiped out any chance of passing a reform and quietly disappeared. another major issue that year, iraq. >> we will not set an artificial

time table. we are in iraq to achieve a result. a country that is democratic. representative of all its people. at peace with the neighbors and able to defend itself. >> whether or not you believe the u.s. can meet the goal, the war went on for seven dwreyears after that. he mentioned iraq 27 times and afghanistan was mentioned three times. there you have it. second term state of the unions. awfully ambitious in many ways tough to get everything done, though you see there is almost always one big thing that they got done. back to you. >> thanks, chuck. now to the drama surrounding pope benedict. as they find his successor, the pope himself will not be playing a role.

chris jan sising is live for us rome. >> there was a lot of speculation since we haven't had this happen since the middle ages. what would be the impact of having a living pope when a new hope was being chosen. the vatican heard that and premature criticisms. they did say that the pope plans to have nothing to do and exert no influence over the choice of the next pope. here's what we know about what the pope's schedule looks like. he will tomorrow have his regular wednesday audience. the first chance for the public to see him since he made the shocking decision to advocate. once he retires on the 28th, at the end of this month, he plans to go to casa gandolfo and come back to the vatican to what used

to be a monstastery and go into quiet retirement. each though the top aides to the pope have known for months this would happen, they are just starting to have formal contact with cardinals who didn't know anything about this until he made his decision. a lot of important decisions that need to be made including when will the college of cardinals go here and start looking for the white smoke and black smoke that indicate a new pope. >> absolutely fascinating story. thanks for being there. you can catch chris jansing at 10:00 in rome. our super sized state of the union gaggle will be here next and developing news on what president obama will say about bringing troops home from afghanistan. first, the white house soup of the day.

oyster and artichoke soup. i expected more on a fat tuesday. gumbo? i don't know. we'll be right back. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 seems like etfs are everywhere these days. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 but there is one source with a wealth of etf knowledge tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 all in one place. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 introducing schwab etf onesource™. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 it's one source with the most commission-free etfs. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 one source with etfs from leading providers tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 and extensive coverage of major asset classes... tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 all brought to you by one firm tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 with comprehensive education, tools and personal guidance tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 to help you find etfs that may be right for you. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 schwab etf onesource-- tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 for the most tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 commission-free etfs, tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 you only need one source and one place.

tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 start trading commission-free with schwab etf onesource. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 call, click or visit today. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 investors should carefully consider tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 information contained in the prospectus, tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 including investment objectives, risks, tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 charges, and expenses. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 you can request a prospectus by calling schwab tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 at 800-435-4000. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

the president's state of the union has been focusing on guns and the economy. nbc news confirmed that the president will announce 34,000 u.s. troops serving in afghanistan will be home by this time next year. let's bring in our super state of the union gaggle. from "the washington post," former senator from arkansas and republican poster anderson and politico john allen. john, you department get to be on set with us because you didn't get the memo about wearing valentine's day colors. >> you put them as close to you as policy. >> exactly. >> i admire that decision.

>> you get to talk first. that's a benefit. i want to ask you, the state of the union, we covered this thing. it is viewed as the super bowl of politics. how much of what the president talks about tonight has any chance of getting accomplished? typically it feels like these things are a laundry list of asks with very few things that can actually be done. what do you make of that? >> if history is any judge, one or two things he can actually get done. we hear about the national infrastructure bank. every address the president gives, there has been no movement on that, but certainly when he talks about immigration reform, there is a chance of reform happening. i think you have some possibility of some gun control legislation happening. very limited it would seem at

this point. there some areas where the president will talk about things, but by and large most proposals are dead-on arrival and most of the things we can get done are things he has already done. perhaps some sort of task force or getting a secretary of one of the instances to do something. >> thanks for that encouragement. i want to ask you, as a senator from arkansas, you sat in the audience for several state of the unions. we asked about them and democrats want to like the proposals on guns. people like mary landry and tim johnson in south dakota. as a senator in a swing or maybe republican-leaning state, how do you greet them and react to them? i assume you want to be supportive of the president and know your politics.

>> you have to realize that first of all it's an issue that has to be dealt with and news to be dealt with comprehensively. it's not just guns, but all kind of things. mental illness no doubt. we have areas in our state and three counties that for years went without mental health. those are critical issues and you have to realize that. the most important thing is that you come to the table with the willingness to come somewhere where you can start and move out from the consensus there. >> we talked to him and said we will find common ground. it appears it will largely be driven by electoral realities. is there common ground on gun control? it doesn't seem like it. am i missing something and do

republicans need to move forward as a party heading into the mid-terms? >> rhetorically you can hear a lot of the same sentences coming out of their mouths. doesn't mean they support the same policies. i imagine you will hear a lot about the need to reduce america's deficit in the state of the union, but republicans and democrats have different ways of getting there. there is common ground in terms of ultimate goals and very, very big differences. >> you see a republican and a democrat, congress is broken and you need to fix it. it never gets there. i want to ask about the economy. the president and his advisers signalled this will be a heavy speech. the speech was being touched on. did the president -- did he make a mistake that he won

convincingly by not talking more about the economy. >> they see it as a book end that was more about this social agenda apart from the economy and he got pushback from republicans, what about jobs? what are you going to talk about? so he'll return tonight. but let's face it, a lot of what he's going to say tonight, we've already heard from the first state of the union and the second state of the union and the third one. >> all right. we'll be back with all four of you shortly, but it is trivia time. i love this one. we asked, who is the last president to not deliver a state of the union address in person? the answer, jimmy carter in 1981. seems odd. according to the senate historian, president's truman, eisenhower, and carter all sent their final messages to congress in print. if you've got a political trivia question for us, e-mail us at dailyrundown@msnbc.com. we'll be right back. i am a lash addict. the only thing stopping me?

clumps. [ gasps ] meet new covergirl clump crusher. big volume mascara with a brush designed to crush. 200% more volume. zero clumps. new clump crusher. from easy, breezy, beautiful, covergirl. when you lost the thing you can't believe you lost.. when what you just bought, just broke. or when you have a little trouble a long way from home... as an american express cardmember you can expect some help. but what you might not expect, is you can get all this with a prepaid card. spends like cash. feels like membership.

and as we were looking through the photos i realized there were none of me. and i said something needs to change. weight watchers gives me everything that i could possibly need to be successful. it teaches you how to live in the real world. i don't feel hungry and deprived on weight watchers. people say to me, "how can you eat all that and be your size?" i've lost 87 lbs. on weight watchers. so i can be the katie that i knew was there all along. now, she can shine. [ hudson ] introducing the new weight watchers 360 program. built for human nature. join for free and expect amazing. because it works.

let's bring back our gaggle for a little bit of a lightning round. nia-malika henderson, blanche lincoln, okay, chuck and i are both agreed that this is a fascinating moment for marco rubio, who's giving the republican response. are we overblowing it? feel free if -- >> no, i don't think -- this is the big thing. i'm in some ways more excited about this than president obama. this is his big debut, his big national debut for marco rubio. one question i have, for marco rubio, is, how tea party is he? and does it party? you'll give rand paul give the tea party response tonight. you've had bill o'reilly call marco rubio a moderate. it will be interesting. >> senator, how difficult is it to follow the president of the united states, giving a speech, no matter who you are? >> i think it's tough, but i think they also know what their

objective is. and he obviously wants greater visibility. he wants to be able to position himself in a way. and i think that's going to be the big issue, because, as a moderate myself, i'm looking for a moderate. >> christian, is marco rubio the guy your party should put forward as their foil to barack obama? >> absolutely. i'm so thrilled that he's going to be giving the response to the state of the union. i think it is his time. i'm looking forward to him getting this national exposure. i think he issing t ing ththe r at the right time to lead the republican party into this time of renewal. >> john allen, who gets more attention tomorrow morning, marco rubio or rand paul? >> i think marco rubio, actually, will get more attention, than rand paul, giving a tea party address, depending on what he says, could, in fact, grab some headlines. >> now, i'm going to do this in the snake order. jonathan, you get to go first. >> my sister's birthday today and my wife is pregnant with our second. i love you, honey. happy valentine's day. >> kristen? >> i also have a birthday, last

time i was on the show, i wished happy birthday to my sister, now more sister heather. >> senator? >> no birthdays in my house. yesterday i joined the fix the debt campaign. about 20 plus of my former colleagues in the congressional leadership council. we had a press conference to kick off our efforts to really bring the focus back to long-term solutions for the debt. >> nia? >> i'll go with my great colleague, who i believe is the justin timberlake of politics, and that is chris cillizza. >> wow, i am taking that. justin timberlake and i are also both good at basketball. my shameless plug is for all political junkies out there. this is a great day if you're like and chuck around the tables, enjoy it, this is our super bowl, nerd political super bowl. that is it for this edition of "the daily rundown." tomorrow on the show, chuck will break down tonight's big speech and talk to former clinton white house chief of staff, john podesta and former indiana senator and republican, dick lugar. stick with msnbc all day long for the coverage leading up to the state of the union, special

prime-time coverage starts tonight at 8:00 p.m. coming up next, chris "jansing and co.", live from rome. here's your business travel forecast. the travel trouble spot today is actually in texas and near oklahoma. especially in north texas, amarillo, into oklahoma city late today into tonight. a little mini snowstorm for this area of the country. otherwise, a lot of rain down in the deep south for mardi gras today, in new orleans, 70 with a chance of thunderstorms and showers there in atlanta. the northeastern great lakes, you're looking okay today. enjoy. [ male announcer ] i've seen incredible things.

otherworldly things. but there are some things i've never seen before. this ge jet engine can understand 5,000 data samples per second. which is good for business. because planes use less fuel, spend less time on the ground and more time in the air.